Ep. 497 - Finding Unity in a Divided World

Ep. 497 - Finding Unity in a Divided World

As tensions and conflicts in the outer world continue to escalate, fears and anxieties intensify inside each of us. Increasing polarization leaves us deeply uncertain about the future as well as increasingly disoriented and further divided against each other. While the poles of a polarity appear to be irreconcilable opposites, they can also be seen as parts of a hidden unity waiting to be found. The true aim of oppositions is the revelation of a "hidden third" that not only relieves tension, but also renews the spirit of life. Thus, the unity missing in the outer world must be sought within ourselves. Michael Meade tells an ancient myth from Iran which depicts how the medicine we are looking for is to be found inside us. In this old understanding, the secret aim of the tension of opposites is not simply to divide and destroy, but to awaken a deeper sense of wisdom and imagination that can reconnect us to the process of ongoing creation. Creativity is the only outcome of conflict that can satisfy the soul. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Ep. 496 - A Feather from the Golden Self

This episode begins with a fairy tale in which a wondrous tree grows in a palace garden at the center of a realm. The tree at the center produces golden fruit; but each night a golden apple mysteriously vanishes. The culprit turns out to be a golden bird that drops a shining feather before also disappearing. The rest of the tale involves searching for various elements that represent the golden self within us that is the natural inheritance of the human psyche. In the story, the connection to the golden bird appears as light as a feather. Yet, if we do not pick up the feather of our own lives, we can miss our calling and fall out of the story of our own soul. What was once as light as a feather can become a heavy psychic load, leaving us stuck in depression, in self-rejection or feeling lost. Yet again, the idea of an inner alchemy depends upon the potential for human transformation, which is symbolized by turning the lead in our lives into gold. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Ep. 495 - Creativity, the Muse and the Dark Times

In this episode, Michael Meade talks about the various ways we can find and connect with our creative muse. He brings surprising insights into practical ways of being creative and the good news that everyone, artists and non-artists alike, has a muse. Creativity is a force larger than ourselves that wants to flow through us, be expressed by us and be given to the community around us. Meade shares myths and rituals that show how creativity is present and in abundance during the dark times of trouble and despair. Times of chaos and dissolution can also birth creativity that leads us to the next phase of life or of the world, in the never-ending dance of chaos and ongoing creation and creativity. This episode is edited from an interview on a Jung Platform [https://jungplatform.com/] Summit on creativity. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at: patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at: michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Ep. 494 - The Treasure Hard to Attain

In this episode, Michael Meade tells an old story about a man whose dreams call for him to go on a long, challenging journey to find a hidden treasure of gold. The story suggests that the treasure we desire most hides where we would never choose to go on our own. Bringing a dream to life requires that we truly change and that can awaken our deepest fears and strongest resistance. Symbolically, gold represents all that is noble, valuable and unique in each soul. On the other hand, lead is an inert metal that represents all that is base, dense and resistant in life. Meaningful change involves transforming areas of our lives that have become stuck and undermining so as to release innate gifts and talents that have been held back or denied. The psychological and spiritual process of changing lead into gold is part of the alchemy of the soul. In neglected or rejected areas of our lives buried spiritual ideas and feelings wait to be unearthed, creative instincts wait to be stirred, and greater capacities of love seek to be embraced. They are all part of the living gold of the self and the inner alchemy of the soul. Some redemption occurs each time we become conscious of the contents of our souls, as creative expression and increased vitality transform our individual lives as well as the world. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at: patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at: michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Ep. 493 - Following Pathless Paths

This episode begins with the idea that each person has a unique story that seeks to unfold from within their soul. If a person is lucky or adventurous or devoted, they will typically find a path that aligns with their inside story. If they follow that path far enough, they will come to a place where there are no footsteps and the only way forward involves what is called the pathless path. Taking up the notion of a pathless path, Michael Meade follows the trail that leads to an array of dynamic energies that include various kinds of vision quests, the nature of being a wounded healer and variations of shamanic initiations. Eventually, the pathless path leads to the ancient idea of the Outsider, which turns out to be the archetypal image for people who become capable of receiving direct messages from the otherworld of great imagination and inspired spirit. The surprising trail of the pathless path eventually reveals that the knowledge, wisdom and healing energies missing in modern life can only enter the world through those who connect to the archetype of the outsider. Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles. Learn more and join this community of listeners at: patreon.com/livingmyth Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at: michaeljmeade.substack.com If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.